East Atlanta based deli and local food shop Urban Cannibals Bodega + Bites will host a free Affordable Care Act (ACA) information session for local musicians and restaurant workers on Monday, February 2 at 6:30pm. Complimentary light bites and beverages will be available.

The information session will be lead by ACA navigator Brigid Scarborough of the Health Initiative. Last year, Doria Roberts, who is a musician and who owns and runs Urban Cannibals with her wife chef Calavino Donati, used Scarborough’s services to get insurance through Healthcare.gov with a pre-existing condition before an impending major surgery. Roberts’ $44,000 medical bill was reduced to only $6,000 and that balance was subsequently taken care of by Musicares, a Recording Academy (GRAMMY) organization that provides emergency medical funding for professional musicians in need.

Roberts says: “Even though the whole ordeal was awful, I was really lucky to be able to get insurance but to also have Brigid as a resource. I’m not sure I would have been able to do it without her. I was emotionally overwhelmed by the surgery so it was great to have someone who was knowledgeable and patient to guide me. Before that, I was one of those people who never thought they’d need comprehensive insurance, but now I understand how important it is to be prepared.”

To “pay forward” her grant from Musicares, Roberts made The Giving Kitchen, an Atlanta based organization that gives emergency medical funding to restaurant industry employees in the same way Musicares does for musicians, the beneficiary of her annual birthday party show. The Giving Kitchen was founded by chef Ryan Hidinger and his wife Stephanie when Ryan was diagnosed with cancer.

She continues, “I just thought it was the perfect way to acknowledge my gratitude and to marry the industry I’ve been working for 20 years with the industry that chef Calavino has been working in for 20 years and to get the message out there that these services are available.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring others who may be interested and any questions they may have about the ACA. Brigid will also be booking free individual appointments for those looking to sign up before the February 15th open enrollment deadline.

As a first-timer at this event, I thought I’d give you a quick overview of what I learned on my first day.

Get your wristband first! – upon arrival head to The Water Color Inn (which serves as the festival’s headquarters) and exchange your ticket for a festival wristband. You’ll need the fabric wristband to get in to every venue. You’ll wear the wristband for the entire length of the festival. Don’t take it off or lose it! The address of The Water Color Inn is: 34 Golden Rod Circle, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 (map)

Make Friends – right away, you’ll find that friendships are founded at a festival like this. On the shuttle buses (more on these later) people are sharing their recommendations, exchanging stories of who they saw, their favorite venues and the odd wait time if there is one.

Shuttle Bus – not only are there shuttle buses going up and down 30A taking you to all the venues, on the festival website you’ll find a really cool app that shows you in real-time where the buses are and which direction they are headed!

Take Some Time To Plan – there are so many performers that spending some time online listening to the different artists will help you make your schedule.

Food – some of the venues have food (or there is food nearby) but make sure to jump off the shuttle and stop at Seaside where you’ll find Barefoot BBQ’s food truck. Great brisket and bloody mary’s.

Get There Early – if there’s someone you really want to see, chances are so does everyone else. Make sure you get to those events early as sometimes there can be a wait. Some venues operate a one in, one out policy when full.

Be Respectful – the beauty of this festival is getting to hear some amazing artists in intimate venues. Many of the venues are small and you want to be able to hear a pin drop. So remember these are listening rooms. Take the talking outside.

Noel Gallagher has announced the completion and release date of the brand new Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds album, Chasing Yesterday. The announcement was made during a live Q&A streamed on Facebook and hosted by BBC 6 Music’s Matt Everitt. Fans who missed it, can click here to catch the whole event.

Chasing Yesterday will be released on March 3rd via Sour Mash Records, available on CD, Deluxe CD, vinyl and digitally.

The first single from the album, ‘In The Heat Of The Moment’ will be released on November 17th.

Chasing Yesterday is the first album to be produced as well as written by Noel and features a much broader array of instrumentation than ever before; the result is a rich, expansive and multi-layered record, drawing from a range of disparate influences – from west coast rock to classic rock’n’roll and even some space jazz (!) – whilst still being very obviously a completely cohesive body of work. On producing the album, Noel said:

“It was a major pain in the arse. It’s not that I’ve ever had people telling me what to write or what direction to go in, but managing sessions from one end of the week to the other proved extremely difficult. I had all these people looking at me and saying: ‘right, what are we doing today?’ I was making the whole thing up as I went along.”

The first single to be taken from the album will be, ‘In The Heat Of The Moment.’ “If that’s not an opening line for a song I don’t know what is” said Noel.

“I tried to get him to play on the last album but it never happened,” said Gallagher. “So when I put this track together and knew he would be perfect for it I called him and asked if I could send him the rough mix. He said: ‘No, I don’t want to hear it. I’m just going to react to it on the day.’ He didn’t even want any pointers. Well, that was brave of him. He just arrived with two guitars and a bag of effects pedals. And I have to say, he’s unbelievable. He’s way up there, on another level to the rest of us. The result is a burst of energy that helped make Mighty I one of the best songs I’ve ever written.”

This album follows the huge success of the double platinum eponymous debut album that has sold 770,000 copies to date in the UK alone, and a live schedule that saw Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds visit 32 countries and play 143 shows over a 15 month touring period.

Album track listing:
1. Riverman
2. In The Heat Of The Moment
3. The Girl With X-Ray Eyes
4. Lock All The Doors
5. The Dying Of The Light
6. The Right Stuff
7. While The Song Remains The Same
8. The Mexican
9. You Know We Can’t Go Back
10. Ballad Of The Mighty I

During the event, hosted by BBC 6 Music’s Matt Everitt, Noel will discuss the forthcoming second album by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. It’s also an opportunity for fans to ask Noel any questions they like. Fans can submit questions on Noel’s Facebook Page using the hashtag #NoelGallagherFBLive, or in the comment box beneath the live feed whilst the event is taking place.

You can watch Noel and Matt in action live on Noel’s Facebook page at 10am (NY Time) next Monday, October 13th.

Listen below to the first taste of The Lone Bellow’s highly anticipated follow up to their critically acclaimed self-titled debut. The album will be released in early 2015 and was produced by Aaron Dessner of The National. The first track to be released is titled “Then Came The Morning.” “The Lone Bellow has lost none of its sleekly soaring charm. You’ll hear a band that’s climbed the Van Morrison family tree straight to the highest branch,” said NPR.

“Then Came The Morning” is available today, Tuesday, October 7th via iTunes and will also be released as a limited edition 7inch on Record Store Day’s Black Friday along with an exclusive B-side that won’t be on the forthcoming album.

The band will be on tour throughout the fall, although there is no Atlanta date yet. More album details to be announced soon!

]]>http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/10/08/the-lone-bellow-then-came-the-morning/feed/0Down In Front? Do You Sit or Stand at a Concert?http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/09/19/do-you-sit-or-stand-at-a-concert/
http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/09/19/do-you-sit-or-stand-at-a-concert/#commentsFri, 19 Sep 2014 17:47:46 +0000http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/?p=59471

I love The Tabernacle. It’s one of my favorite venues in Atlanta. It has just the right blend of history, sound quality and danger. There’s something about being up on one of the upper balconies when it’s going off and (just for a second) the thought “what happens if this collapses?” pops into your head. It wobbles. It moves. It gently sways. Part of the floor even collapsed once. And that’s what makes it fun. It’s got its own secrets. Backstage is a maze. Regulars know the difference in sound that 2 feet makes between standing under the balcony overhang, or in front of it. They know which bartenders pour the strongest drinks (Chris/Don), and the fact that the place was once a church which just adds to the luster.

I’ve seen so many legendary shows there. Too many to mention. I’m British so most of my favourites are bands from home that you get to see in front of 2,500 at the Tab compared to 25,000 if you were in England. Oasis. Robbie Williams. Sasha. Digweed. Arctic Monkeys. From the first days when it opened during the Olympics as the House of Blues to The Tabernacle we know today. And let us not forget, its little brother The Cotton Club. The Strokes. Muse (when he whacked himself with the mic). Snow Patrol. Elbow Karaoke (when he was too pissed to sing – sorry, I meant had to “save his voice for a more important SXSW showcase”), Stereophonics, South, Doves, The Super Furry Animals (with full surround sound) and of course, my old band Film.

But tonight there was something in the air.

Lily Allen’s in town. She’s pop. She’s cheeky. Everyone should be up for a boogie. But there was something in the air that night. We blagged our way into the VIP section upstairs in the center. Granted not my usual choice, but we had some friends to meet. We sat like everyone else, between the opener and Lily. And then the first song came on. She opened with Sheezus. Most of the crowd got up in the section beside us.. but not our section.

That awkward moment. Do you stay sitting down, or do you stand up?

You look around… Try to feel it out..

Let’s wait until the second song. And the second song’s a good one. Not Fair. Lily’s having fun now.

(side note, and even weirder… the couple in front of us are Face-timing the song with their kids who look all of 10 years old. If you don’t know what Not Fair is about, look it up. But suffice to say, my daughter will be not be listening to that song until she’s er.. married)

So two songs in we stand up. 30 seconds later someone threw ice at the Mrs. We knew it was awkward to stand up when no one else in our section was standing, but everyone in the section to the right of us was standing. Why couldn’t we? Maybe if we stood up, others would stand up. Not so much. More ice. Bollocks to this. Downstairs.

It’s an age old question and I know it depends on the show, but in general what is the etiquette on standing vs. sitting at a concert?

We (Ticket Alternative and Freshtix) were recently contacted by a local entrepreneur hoping to create a Spotify-like subscription service for concerts. The concept is simple. Pay a $25 per month subscription fee and attend an unlimited number of concerts. There wasn’t much more information they could give us but it looks like the service is going to be called Jukely. (Twitter @Jukely)

It will be interesting to see how/if this works. Most venues and promoters don’t sell ‘last minute’ unsold inventory at at discount because ticket prices are typically set out in an agreement between the promoter and agent. An offer sheet expects X numbers of tickets sold at Y. There are provisions carved out in advance for a variety of comp tickets for marketing, sponsors and others.

So, unless a company like Jukely can work out a deal with the venue or promoter, they will be paying full-price for each ticket. Which begs the question, what sort of inventory will they have access to? If I’m going to be able to attend even just 3 shows a month where the ticket price is normally $100 per ticket, then this deal is a scream. But if the company providing the service is having to pay $100 for each of those tickets, they’re not going to make much money off me! Unless of course there are some additional revenue streams. And even an affiliate program modal for tickets, which someone like Ticketfly offers ($.25 per ticket), isn’t going to bring them much revenue.

The company’s main tagline is that it is a “Matchmaker for concerts + friends. We magically match friends with upcoming concerts and help you start a conversation”

The Spotify model assumes that many subscribers don’t reach the full $9.99 per month worth of song royalties. Royalty payments on a song a but a few pennies. But, it will be very easy for unlimited concert subscribers to reach the full $25 per month worth of concert tickets. Especially if the concert tickets typically cost more than $25 in the first place.

It is time to rock the mustache and man the maracas. Atlanta’s most irreverent and fun-filled 5K is back on Saturday, May 3 as One Love Stache Dash returns to Buckhead for more margarita-fueled mayhem. Thousands of sombrero-clad runners and Cinco de Mayo revelers will take to the streets in support of a great local cause, Atlanta-based One Love Generation.

Save $5 of your registration with the promo code TicketAlternative

The race kicks off at 9 a.m. with a start and finish line at Tin Lizzy’s Buckhead, charting a course down Roswell Road, Peachtree Road and Piedmont Road. Participants are invited to walk, run, cha-cha or Macarena along the 3.2-mile route to the festive sounds of mariachi madness. Costumes are strongly encouraged, and prizes will be awarded. The party continues post-run at Tin Lizzy’s with plenty of tacos and tequila to keep the Cinco celebration going all day.

All of the proceeds from Stache Dash benefit One Love Generation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that empowers youth to inspire positive local change through art, service and awareness. Check out more at www.onelovegeneration.org.

]]>http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/04/28/save-5-off-your-stache-dash-registration/feed/0Tour Atlanta’s Top Recording Studioshttp://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/04/26/tour-atlantas-top-recording-studios/
http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/2014/04/26/tour-atlantas-top-recording-studios/#commentsSat, 26 Apr 2014 13:42:13 +0000http://www.atlantamusicguide.com/?p=54964If you’ve ever wanted a sneak peak inside Atlanta’s top recording studios, here is your chance. The Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy is organizing a bus tour on Sunday, May 4th which will take you to Silent Sound Studios, Southern Tracks, ZAC Recording and Crossover Entertainment. In addition, they are giving away over $10,000 in door prizes. Tickets for the bus tour are only $25 each, but the tour is free if you are a current Recording Academy Member. You can sign up to be a member by visiting www.grammy365.com/join

It’s GRAMMY week and we can’t wait to see how many of our fellow Georgian’s win next weekend. We attended the Georgia GRAMMY Nominee salute last Wednesday at Callanwolde where all of the nominees from our great state were acknowledged. Tune in at 8pm on Sunday January 26th to watch the 56th annual broadcast.

Here’s the complete list of Georgian’s nominated for a GRAMMY award.

Record of the Year
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell

Album of the Year
Good Kid, MAAD City – Kendrick Lamar
Tha Bizness aka Henny & Dow Jones